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Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison introduces measure to make Juneteenth a national holiday

WASHINGTON – Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison on Tuesday introduced a resolution to make the Texas holiday Juneteenth a national celebration.

Juneteenth, which is today, recognizes the day in 1865 when word reached Texas that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years prior, freeing all slaves.

Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger read the orders to a crowd in Galveston, months after the Civil War ended.

“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free,” Granger said. “This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”

The day is primarily celebrated in southwestern states. The measure introduced by Hutchison, R-Texas, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., will call upon all levels of government to observe Juneteenth “with appropriate ceremonies, programs, and activities.” The measure would not make Juneteenth a federal workforce holiday. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, co-sponsored the resolution.

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The blog for the Dallas Morning News politics team tracks Dallas Fort Worth area, Texas and national campaigns.